Sunday Night Snooker

 

I’ve just finished watching the final of snookers ‘UK Masters 2018’ tournament and once again I couldn’t help but have a Wing Chun thought.

 

I remember many years ago, watching the wonderful snooker coach Jack Karnehm and getting some great tips from him.

Although Jack was never known in the media as a tournament winner he was a terrific coach, seeing the development of great world champions such as John Spencer, Ray Reardon, Terry Griffiths, John Parrot, Steve Davis and so on.

 

The most important thing I remember him saying was that you should always put 100% on every shot.

 

Now initially this makes perfect sense and in fact seems obvious, but what he said was this:

If you have a long pot then put 90% on the pot and only 10% on the final position of the cue ball.

However, by the same token, if you are left with a shot, which has the object ball sitting right over the pocket, so close that you believe it is almost impossible to miss, still give it 100%.

But this time with only put 10% on the pot and 90% on position.

 

 

This should be the same in Wing Chun.

 

If you try a move in Chi Sau and it does not work as you’d expected, then the likelihood is that it was not ‘the technique’ that didn’t work, but one of its supporting components, such as the lack of turn, no driving of the elbow or an over-commitment.

 

Even if the strike gets in, this is no good if there is not follow up attack available, always give 100% even if the strike seems an easy one.

 

Don’t ne a single shot, one hit wonder, try to be a break builder.